


Know Me Better

by kitlaurie



Category: Klaus (2019)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Ghosts, Angst, Canonical Character Death, F/M, Fix-It, Fix-It of Sorts, Fluff, Fluff and Angst, Ghosts, Happily Ever Afterlife, Implied/Referenced Character Death, M/M, Post-Canon Fix-It
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-03-21
Updated: 2020-08-09
Packaged: 2021-03-01 04:42:28
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 7,113
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23239393
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/kitlaurie/pseuds/kitlaurie
Summary: Or, The Perks of Being a Magical Christmas Ghost.Jesper lived a good life. When it's over he has the opportunity to reunite with his lost love (and his lost love's lost love) and spend his afterlife helping to make every Christmas more magical than the last.A collection of stories set in a universe where Jesper, Klaus, and Lydia are all ghosts working together to make this Santa thing happen every year. (And they're all very in love.)1. Jesper doesn't like seeing himself look older2. Christmas Eve Stowaway3. Just Random Cuddling
Relationships: Jesper Johanssen/Klaus, Jesper Johanssen/Klaus/Lydia, Jesper Johanssen/Lydia, Klaus/Lydia (Klaus 2019)
Comments: 4
Kudos: 87





	1. Cute Old Man

**Author's Note:**

> This first chapter wasn't the first thing I started writing for this au, but it's the first thing I finished. I have a small backlog of content for these three and anything I finish will be posted here. You can find my original post about the Christmas Ghosts au here: [Klaus Christmas Ghosts au](https://kitlaurie.tumblr.com/tagged/klaus-christmas-ghosts-au) along with some other dumb stuff I came up with for this au.
> 
> (And yes, the title is a mostly pointless A Christmas Carol reference)
> 
> I've recently become obsessed with the idea of old man Jesper, and while this was made for a completely different au made by someone else it's pretty much exactly how I pictured Jesper here: [Klaus Swap au](https://lisondraws.tumblr.com/post/189693054639/quick-little-comic-from-the-klaus-swap-au-created) (Also, it's just very good and you should go check out the rest of Lisondraws Klaus art while you're there)
> 
> I originally described this as silly and sweet, but it's got a little bit of sad sandwiched in the middle.
> 
> Summary:  
> Jesper doesn't like seeing himself look older, but everyone else loves it.

There were days when Jesper just couldn't seem to keep up his usual illusion of youth. The image of a golden haired man still a few good years from middle-age giving way to one with a full head of soft silver, a face with well-worn laugh lines, and a well groomed mustache to tie it all together.

Klaus had to admit, he liked it when the man let some of his years show. He couldn't help but smile whenever he saw him like this.

There was something about it that managed to be both dignified and, well, cute.

He'd even broken out the spectacles. Although, as a ghost, he really didn't need them.

He thought old age suited Jesper very well.

But Jesper clearly had other feelings on the matter.

It was late one evening and Klaus had just settled in front of the fire in their warm little den after tearing himself away from his most recent project.

The three of them didn't usually need to sleep every night, but sometimes exhaustion snuck up on him. And after a long day, well probably more than a day, shut up in his workshop he was feeling that need for rest.

He was just starting to wonder if the empty den was too quiet when Jesper walked in, in all his grey bespectacled glory.

He had a knack for knowing exactly where Klaus was and if he was or wasn't busy, not that him being busy ever stopped the man from demanding his attention.

Without saying a word, Jesper collapsed across his lap with a dramatic sigh.

"Everything alright?" Klaus asked, trying to control the smile spreading involuntarily across his face.

"I feel old." Jesper groused.

"Then be old. What's it gonna do?" Klaus asked wryly. "Kill you?"

Jesper huffed and smacked him on the arm. "Oh you think that's funny, huh? I hate this."

"I like seeing you like this, reminds me of when you were half retired and traveling most of the year. You had so many good stories to tell when I visited." Klaus said wistfully. "And all the children we delivered toys to that first year were grown up and had kids of their own. I knew a little about them, but it was always nice to hear you talk about how everyone was doing."

"Well I'm glad one of us has good memories of that time." Jesper grumbled, a far away look in his eyes. "Whenever I see myself like this I can't help but think of how hard it always was, knowing it would be months before I saw you again. It seemed to get harder every year."

Klaus felt that uncontrollable smile start to slip away. It was the first time he'd ever considered that Jesper's preference for appearing younger was about something other than vanity. That he preferred those early days when they were together. Alive and together.

"I never meant to hurt you, leaving like I did. _We_ never meant to hurt you."

Jesper sat up abruptly, looking him in the eye.

"Klaus you died." He said, bluntly. "Maybe not the same way most people do, but it's not like it was anyone's fault." Jesper sighed. "And I lived more than long enough to know that life very rarely lets you have everything you want all at once. And I liked my life, I really did. Wouldn't trade it for the world."

"I'm still sorry you ever had to feel like that." Klaus told him, cupping the side of his face. Jesper smiling softly as he leaned into it.

"And I think you're very cute like this." Klaus added, letting a lovesick smile take over his face.

A pair of slender arms suddenly wrapped around Jesper's chest from behind.

"Oh yeah, _super cute_." Lydia agreed, holding him tight and pressing a quick kiss to his cheek.

"Ugh, fine." Jesper groaned, leaning back into her. "I'll let you two enjoy my involuntary old age, but I don't have to like it."

"Fair enough." Klaus laughed. "Y'know, maybe you'd like it better if you got rid of the mustache."

"Why? Does it make me look too much like my Dad?" Jesper asked, stroking the end of his mustache.

"If anything it highlights how much you _don't_ look like your Dad." Lydia told him. "And what's wrong with his mustache? I like it."

Klaus hummed thoughtfully, looking at Jesper's face with careful consideration.

"Well, its-" He started, cautiously.

"Or are you the only one around here who's allowed to have a fuzzy face?" Lydia interrupted.

The two of them then went on to argue about his mustache for the better part of an hour, Jesper laying his head on Klaus' chest as he listened to them weigh the pros and cons of his facial hair.

Eventually they came to the conclusion that it only worked if he wore his spectacles, to balance things out, otherwise it was a little too much.

"Good to know." Jesper said, feigning annoyance despite the warm feeling in his chest. "Now if you two have run out of opinions regarding my personal appearance I think it's about time we went to bed. Klaus, you'll have to carry me."

"Oh, will I?" He asked. "And why's that?"

"I lived way longer than either of you. I'm old and infirm. You have to carry me." Jesper said, draping himself dramatically across Klaus and the couch.

"Oh, are we bringing pre-death infirmity into this?" Lydia asked, eyebrows raised. "Because I think I've got my own case to make for needing to be carried to bed."

She finished her statement off with a pathetic fake cough.

"Please don't, I can't take this." Klaus begged, rubbing his face. "Do you want me to carry both of you? Because I can carry both of you."

Lydia and Jesper smirked at each other.

"Now why didn't we think of that?" Jesper asked, giving Lydia a conspiratorial look.

"Oh we could never come up with something so clever." She replied with thick sarcasm. "Terrible at scheming, the both of us."

They laughed as Klaus rolled his eyes.

Lydia wasted no time climbing onto his lap, her limbs tangling with Jesper's as she was half on top of him as well.

"I don't know how you're expecting me to stand with both of you on me like this though." Klaus said, trying and failing to sound annoyed.

"Well," Lydia mused, laying her head on his shoulder. "Maybe we could just stay like this for a little while then."


	2. The Stowaway

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lucas just wanted to talk to Santa before Christmas morning.

This was a mistake. He'd made a mistake. A Christmas mistake.

This plan wasn't supposed to actually work. There wasn't supposed to actually be a sleigh on the roof. Wasn't supposed to actually fly him away to the North Pole or wherever this was.

He wasn't supposed to get this far because now he didn't know what to do.

All he'd wanted to do was talk to Santa before Christmas morning but now he was so overwhelmed with the idea of being suddenly so far from home that this morning's worries seemed far away and small.

The boy wasn't sure how long he spent just lying there in the back of the sleigh, it felt like forever, but eventually he pulled himself up and ventured out.

-

He opened the door onto a narrow hall, walls lined with old-fashioned looking Christmas decorations. Mostly wood. The kind of stuff his Mom always gushed over but never bought or made because "we can't keep anything nice. It would be a waste." But here it didn't seem so unapproachable; not something fragile you kept away from kids so they wouldn't break it. It seemed warm and inviting.

"Hey kid, what do you think you're doing?" Asked a sudden voice from behind him.

Behind him. The way he'd just come from.

He turned around and standing there, not three feet from him, was a man. A blonde man dressed in blue pajamas, the whole set. Blue PJs, blue slippers, blue robe.

He stood there staring at the man in blue, not sure what to do or what to say. There was no way he was at the North Pole.

The man sighed and put his hands on his hips.

"Ok, come with me. We'll get this sorted out."

He followed behind the man reluctantly, mostly it just seemed better than being lost. This guy was weird, not at all what he expected to see after hitching a ride in Santa's sleigh. He couldn't even tell how old the man was. At first the boy could have sworn he saw distinct grey streaks at his temples and lines at the corner of his eyes, but then the man would turn his head just so and they would vanish.

They turned down another short hall and the man opened the door at the end. Inside was an office with a large wooden desk and filing cabinets lining every wall from floor to ceiling.

It was a nice office, with fancy looking furniture and warm lighting, but it was full of clutter. The desk was a mess of paper and old coffee mugs, and there were what looked to be children's drawings hung up haphazardly on strings like pennants from the ceiling.

"What's your name, kid?" The man asked, walking up to the seemingly infinite filing cabinets and opening a drawer on one neatly labeled 'North America, United States'.

"Lucas Moore."

"Lucas Brian Moore?"

"Yeah. How do you-"

"Lucas Brian Moore, 1701 East Bridge Lane, Franklin, Georgia?"

"What? How do you know where I live?"

"Oh trust me, I know a lot more about you than that." The man pulled a thin folder from the drawer. "I know your favorite color, your shoe size." He took the folder over to the big cluttered desk and pulled a pen from the mess. "I know that you let your Mom think it was your cousin Lily who got glitter slime in the cat's fur when she was over for Thanksgiving."

This was really weird. "That's creepy."

The man spluttered. "That's creepy? I'm not the one who broke into someone's home by sneaking into a parked vehicle!"

"What are you doing?" Lucas asked, peering over the desk.

"I'm making a note in your record." The man said as he wrote.

"My record?" Lucas was so confused. What was this weird man talking about? He was supposed to be at the North Pole, with Santa. What was all this nonsense with folders and records?

When it hit him he gasped.

"Am I going on the naughty list? For this?"

The man smirked as he stood and returned the folder to it's proper place.

"No, not just for this. But I will definitely be taking it into consideration for next year."

"It's Santa's list." Lucas said desperately. "What've you got to say about it?"

"Hey watch it, kid." The man said, turning around. "You're talking to the man who invented the naughty list!"

Lucas' eyebrows shot up. "You were that bad!?"

"What? No, I-"

"Jesper! Who are you talking to?"

A small, bright-eyed woman appeared in the doorway, just as suddenly and quietly as the man in blue had appeared behind him in the hall. Her brown hair was lightly streaked with ash gray and she was wearing the busiest, gaudiest Christmas sweater he'd ever seen. It had a dinosaur with a Santa hat on it.

"Come see for yourself." The man (Jesper?) told her.

The woman peeked around the door-frame and her face lit up with a smile as bright as the sun when she saw the boy standing there.

"Hi sweetie! What are you doing here?" She crouched, getting down to his eye level. "Shouldn't you be at home, tucked in bed all safe and warm?"

She was being a lot nicer to him than the man in blue was, but Lucas didn't like her tone. She was talking to him like he was a baby.

He took a deep breath and did his best to sound mature. “I need to talk to Santa, I need to ask him for something.”

“Sorry kid, all new requests must be submitted before the 24th.” Jesper said.

The woman frowned at him.

“But,” He relented. “We have been known to make exceptions, from time to time. What do you need?”

“To talk to Santa.” Lucas repeated slowly.

The woman put a hand over her mouth, barely stifling her laughter.

“Ya need a minute, Lydia?” Jesper asked.

“No, no. I’m good.” She said, clearing her throat a little dramatically as she stood up. “Let’s go find Santa before he gets too settled in for the night. Shall we?”

She offered Lucas her hand but after he only looked at it awkwardly she pulled it back and Jesper walked past her with a smirk on his face as he lead the way down the hall.

-

The hall seemed so cold now compared to the warm office and Lucas, who was only in his pajamas and socks, could only wrap his arms around himself and try not to shiver.

He must have been doing a bad job of it because the man in blue handed him a new winter coat out of nowhere.

“Here ya go kid, that should fit you just about right.” He said. “Maybe a little room to grow.”

Lucas pulled the coat on, it did fit him almost perfectly and it was a dark, almost black, purple; his favorite color. Lucas wasn’t going to let him know that though. If the smug look on his face was anything to go by though, the man already knew.

Lydia smiled at him as he zipped the coat up.

“Do you need anything else? Are you warm enough? I could get you some hot chocolate!” She grabbed the man by his sleeve. “Jesper, let’s stop by the kitchen and get him some hot chocolate.”

Lucas was finding all this attention a little overwhelming.

“I’m fine, you don’t have to do anything special for me.” He told her, worrying the edge of his coat sleeves.

“Well don’t worry about bothering us.” She said. "This is Santa's workshop! It's like being at your grandparents house. It's our job to spoil you!"

"If you've been good." Jesper added.

"Don't listen to him!" Lydia said, giving Jesper a light shove. “You let us know if you want anything, ok?”

“I really just wanna talk to Santa.” Lucas mumbled, looking at the floor.

Jesper’s face softened as the boy sleepily repeated his request. “Of course you do, we’ll go straight to him. No detours, no delays.”

They were all very quiet for a few moments as they continued to walk. Lucas found his tired mind wandering from his own problems to try and sort out everything he’d heard and seen so far.

Lucas looked up at the woman as they walked.

"Are you Mrs. Claus?" He asked her.

"I sure am." She said proudly.

He moved in closer to her so he could try and whisper. "And who's he?" He asked, pointing to Jesper who was walking just ahead of them.

"Oh," She looked up and gave the man a considering look for a moment, then smirked. "Also Mrs. Claus."

"Hey!" Jesper turned around, walking backwards so he could look at them. He sounded offended, but there was the hint of a smile peeking through.

"What, am I wrong?" She asked him loudly, her smirk growing wider.

"No." He told her, crossing his arms very deliberately, his smile continuing to slip through despite his best efforts to look annoyed. "Not technically, but I think it’s pretty obvious that it’s not exactly accurate. And I don’t really appreciate my actual job being glossed over like that."

She rolled her eyes. "Oh hush. He doesn’t need the whole career day presentation and you’re ruining my joke.”

“Well your joke was rude!” He shot back.

Lucas looked between the two adults and decided that if every answer he got was just going to leave him with more questions then maybe he was done asking them things for now. These two were even more confusing than most adults and they were ignoring him to joke with each other now anyways.

He pulled his coat tighter around himself, tucking his chin into the collar as he watched these very odd grown-ups walking in front of him tease each other and laugh and bump shoulders without a care.

Suddenly he was feeling something other than annoyance or confusion or fear. Before he could even identify what it was he felt a sudden sob bubble up from somewhere deep inside him.

The man and woman stopped dead in their tracks and turned to look at him, Lydia kneeling down next to him as the tears started rolling down his cheeks.

“What’s the matter honey?” She asked, gently placing a hand on his shoulder.

“I wanna go home.” He sobbed. “I wanna be home right now. I wanna be with my family.”

She gave his shoulder a light squeeze. “Oh, don’t worry. We’ll make sure you get home tonight. Just as soon as we can.”

“That’s right.” Jesper said, kneeling down next to him as well. “You’ll be home so fast you won’t even be sure you ever left.”

He handed the boy a handkerchief, a real cloth one, which seemed to appear out of nowhere. Lucas definitely hadn’t noticed him reach into a pocket.

He also hadn’t realized just how badly he’d been crying until he pressed the handkerchief to his face and it came back covered in snot.

“Don’t even ask.” Jesper said when the boy looked at him with the snotty handkerchief in his hand. “Just keep it.”

They continued on their way, the two adults walking a little closer to him now and quietly asking him the occasional question when he seemed to get too quiet again.

-

They passed through a few other hallways and cozy, inviting rooms before stopping in front of a large open doorway. Even from the hall Lucas could smell sawdust and metal and fresh paint. Inside the large room he could see saws and hammers and all sorts of other tools. There were shelves against the back wall that were bare now but looked like they’d only recently been emptied.

And leaning over one wide workbench, turned away from the doorway making a quick note of something on a scrap of paper as he absently stroked his snow white beard, was a large man dressed all in red.

Oh, that was Santa. That was actually Santa.

Lucas stood in the hallway, frozen in place as Jesper knocked on the side of the doorway.

“Hey, Klaus.” He called at the same time.

The other man, Klaus, _Santa,_ looked up and smiled warmly at Jesper before walking over and giving him a brief kiss on the lips.

“I’m surprised you’re still up.” He said, teasing. “Did you need something?”

Jesper gestured over his shoulder to the boy. "It happened again."

Klaus looked down, seeing the boy for the first time. “Oh.” He said, simply. He almost seemed embarrassed.

"Again?" Lucas asked, his nervousness temporarily forgotten.

"Oh yeah, this happens like every other year." Jesper said, waving dismissively before turning back to Klaus. "Do I need to go back to making deliveries with you? I'm starting to think you need a chaperon."

Lydia gave him a dubious look.

"Jesper, you were ready to go to bed before Klaus even left tonight. You barely said goodbye."

"Well excuse me for being tired." He grumbled. "I've been awake for the better part of the last three months, I think it's understandable. And I could totally stay up for Christmas Eve again if I wanted to.”

“Oh, I’d love to see that.” She told him. “I’ll be waiting up with hot chocolate so I can see you come home and pass out before you’re even finished with the first continent.”

Klaus watched the two of them go back and forth like that for a moment with a fond smile on his face before turning his attention to Lucas.

"So, what was so important that you needed to come all the way here for it?" He asked, kneeling down so he wasn't looming over the boy as he spoke.

“Oh. Well, uh...” Lucas was now very nervous, more nervous than when he’d been laying alone in the back of the sleigh unsure of what he’d just done. It didn’t help that Lydia and Jesper had stopped their friendly bickering and were giving him their full attention again.

He found himself scooting further away from those two and closer to Klaus so he could whisper to him and only him.

When the boy had finished, Klaus gave him a long considering look.

“Well, that’s not exactly my area of expertise.” He said, glancing over Lucas’ shoulder at the other two adults behind him. “But I’ll see what we can do.”

He stood up.

“For right now, let’s just worry about getting you home.”

Klaus and Lydia pulled back a little ways as they all started back the way they’d come. The two were trying to keep their voices down, but Lucas could hear Lydia’s high voice as she tried to find out what exactly he had asked for.

-

They circled back around to the stable where Lucas’ strange night had begun.

He hadn’t gotten a good look at the reindeer in the dark when he’d first snuck into the sleigh, and by the time he’d snuck back out they’d already settled into their own stalls, ready to rest after a hard night’s work.

But now he got a very good look at them as they patiently let Klaus and Jesper interrupt their rest to hitch them back up to the sleigh.

They were so big! So much bigger than the deer that were always in the road when they drove to his aunt’s house.

Klaus must’ve seen him freeze up or seen how big his eyes got, because he looked at him with a gentle smile and said,

“Don’t worry. I know they’re a little scary at first, but they’re very friendly.” He patted one reindeer softly on it’s muzzle. “Do you want to pet her?”

Lucas nodded his head and before he knew what was happening he was being picked up and held right in front of the reindeer’s nose.

“It’s best to be where they can see you and to put your hand out slowly so you don’t startle them.” Klaus told him.

“Like meeting a new dog?” Lucas asked, looking into the animals big dark eye. “Should I let her smell me first?”

Klaus laughed. “It’s a little like that. And it definitely couldn’t hurt to try.”

Lucas held his flat palm out in front of the large snout, feeling the warm breath on his hand and wondering if she was smelling him or just breathing until the reindeer licked his palm with a tongue wider than his whole hand.

_“Yuck!”_ He exclaimed.

Jesper burst out laughing from where he was just a few feet away, still checking that everything was hitched up correctly. But Lucas could only be so mad at him, the other adults were laughing too. Jesper had started it though.

Klaus pulled himself together first. “I think she likes you.” He told Lucas. “Go ahead and give her a pat.”

Lucas wiped his slimey palm on his coat before gently placing his hand right on top of the reindeer’s head. It was soft and warm and she didn’t seem to mind him at all.

Klaus let the boy run his hand wonderingly over the gentle beasts head for a few moments before turning to Jesper and asking, “Everything ready to go?”

“Yep, all set.” He said, patting the side of a reindeer.

Klaus set the boy right in the sleigh before climbing in himself, ready to take the reins.

Lucas just stood where he was for a second, nervously looking at the seat.

“Will you come with us?” He asked, turning to Lydia. He wasn’t sure why, he just met her, but he wanted her to stay with him. It felt like he could be braver if she was there.

“We’ll all go.” She announced with a smile.

“Don’t volunteer me for this.” Jesper told her, crossing his arms as he leaned against the side of the sleigh.

“Aw, come on.” Lydia replied. “Going for a sleigh ride all together, seeing the stars and the Christmas lights. It’s so romantic!”

“Going to bed and cuddling is also very romantic,” Jesper retorted. “And you only need two people for that so we could get started right now while Klaus takes the kid home.”

“The bed will still be there when we get back,” Lydia said as she swung up into the seat next Lucas. “But I’m not staying. You can head to bed by yourself if that’s what you want.”

That was apparently not what Jesper wanted because he grumbled to himself one last time before climbing into the sleigh on Klaus’ other side.

-

They had only been in the air a short time when Lydia leaned over Lucas to tell Klaus “I’ll be right back.” She gave the man a quick kiss and then suddenly she was just gone.

Klaus seemed to sense the boys quiet distress as he carefully re-situated the reins so he could wrap an arm around the boys shoulders. When Lucas looked up at him he gave the boy a warm reassuring smile before looking back to their path through the night sky.

Lucas could see Jesper on his other side, quietly watching the landscape and the stars pass by with a small contented smile despite all his earlier complaints.

By the time he started to recognize the streets and homes below them Lydia had returned, appearing at the boy’s side just as suddenly and seamlessly as she had disappeared.

When Klaus landed the sleigh on the roof of his own house without having to ask him if it was the right one Lucas was briefly surprised, but of course he knew which one it was. He was Santa.

“Well, we should probably get you inside now.” Klaus said, sounding a little sad. A little reluctant. “You ready?”

Lucas nodded and Klaus picked him up again, all four of them somehow suddenly standing on the front lawn only a moment later.

The boy tried not to show how disappointed he was that nothing had been done about his request as he said his goodbyes. It wasn’t really their problem anyways, and even Santa couldn’t do everything.

Klaus grasped the handle of the front door, which Lucas knew for a fact was locked and dead-bolted every night, and it swung open easily and silently with a slight push.

“Get some good sleep now, alright?” Lydia told him, giving him a quick kiss on the top of his head.

“And be good.” Jesper added, ruffling his hair. “We’ll be looking forward to hearing from you next year. No need for another personal visit though, ok?”

Klaus set the boy down on the front steps and looked at him for a moment.

“I know things aren’t exactly the way you want them to be right now,” He said softly. “But it’ll get better. Trust me.”

Lucas looked up at him and nodded silently, he wasn’t sure what to say. Those words somehow made him feel sad and hopeful and seen all at the same time.

All three of them offered him a _Goodnight_ and a _Merry Christmas_ before vanishing again just as soon as he’d repeated it back to them.

-

Up on the rooftop Klaus and Jesper were already settling back into the sleigh, talking quietly about the night, but Lydia was looking intently over the roof’s peak.

"Wait wait wait!" She insisted, waving at them frantically as she peered down at the quiet street.

The men shared a brief look before obliging her and moving to look over the side of the roof.

Almost instantly an old blue minivan drove up the street and pulled into the empty driveway. A woman in green scrubs who shared Lucas's dark curly hair and straight nose climbed out, shutting the driver's side door as quietly as possible.

Her precaution didn't mean much, as Lucas was still wide awake from his little adventure and standing in front of the open front door in an instant.

His excited cry of "Mom!" Could be heard clearly from the rooftop as he ran to hug his surprised and tired mother.

"I'm assuming this was your handiwork?" Jesper asked, looking at Lydia. Although, the self-satisfied smile on her face was all the confirmation he needed.

"Oh it was simple enough." She said, the humble act not coming off very convincing through her huge grin. "Just get the right person to ask how her days going and they offer to swap shifts when she says she wants to be with her kid on Christmas morning. That's all he really wanted. If I had a dime for every kid who wished their parents didn’t have to work on Christmas morning I could tile the kitchen floor with them twice over."

Klaus looked at her fondly for a moment before picking her up and spinning her around, both of them laughing together.

"You're amazing." He told her, still holding her tightly they came to a stop.

"Aw, thanks. I try." She said, wrapping her arms around his neck.

"Ok, this was all very heartwarming. Christmas is saved. Yay." Jesper said flatly, leaning heavily into Klaus' side. "Now can we go home and actually get some sleep?"

“What do you think, love?” Klaus asked Lydia as he set her down in the sleigh. “Everything done here? Are we ready to go?”

"Oh I'm very ready. I don't think we've all gone to bed at the same time since August!" Lydia exclaimed. "Who wants to be in the middle?"

"I don't care." Jesper said as he made himself very comfortable curled up next to Klaus on the sleigh seat. "As long as we actually make it to the bed I really couldn't care less about the specific cuddle formation. In fact, carry me to bed. Put me wherever you’d like.”

“Sure, no problem.” Klaus told him, taking the reins again. “And I’ll be looking forward to when you wake up an hour later to make us move because you’re uncomfortable.”

“No, I’m too tired.” Jesper said, already closing his eyes. “I could sleep anywhere.”

“See, you say that now.” Klaus said as they took off.

“You’re so mean to me.” Jesper muttered sleepily. “Why are you both so mean to me?”

“You make it too much fun.” Lydia said, wrapping herself around Klaus’ other arm and laying her head on his shoulder. “And don’t pretend this wasn’t a nice change of pace. I know you love it when kids stowaway and come see us, your grumpy act doesn’t fool me.”

“I can’t hear you,” Jesper mumbled. “I’m sleeping.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is what should've rightfully been the first story posted for this AU, I started writing it in December! I don't know if it's a good or bad thing if you can tell which parts were written 3 months ago and which parts were written this week.
> 
> I got the opportunity to write some of my favorite things in this story:  
> \- Jesper being picked on by a child  
> \- Sleepy Jesper  
> \- Klaus actually interacting with a child  
> \- Lydia, just Lydia
> 
> Hopefully this does a decent job of showing how these three sort of function together in this AU.
> 
> (And Thank you Lucas for helping keep me company and cheer me up this week, sorry you've been trapped on my phone in the notes app since Christmas.)


	3. Rest With Me

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Even ghosts get tired sometimes

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is really just me writing down some cuddling daydreams.
> 
> Lydia's bit in the middle kept getting longer and longer and also a little angsty. Small warning for sick Lydia. I know that might not be something everyone's ok reading right now but I found it sort of cathartic to write.
> 
> Also, Ghost Jesper is over 100 and he's managed to develop some emotional maturity over all those years.

Jesper woke up enveloped in big strong arms with another slim pair wrapped around his waist.

Which was odd, since he didn’t remember falling asleep.

“How exactly did I get here?” He asked, with no confirmation that his bed-mates were even awake. Though, in his experience, ghosts rarely slept deeply.

He felt Klaus sleepily nuzzle the top of his head instead of give him an answer.

“Klaus carried you. You fell asleep at your desk.” Lydia mumbled into his shoulder. “Again.”

“That can’t be right.” He muttered back. “That doesn’t sound like me at all.”

Jesper felt Lydia shake with laughter behind him at the same time that he felt Klaus’ breath through his hair as he chuckled.

“Oh _nooo_ ,” Lydia drawled sarcastically. “Not like you at all.”

“Never seen anything like it before.” Klaus added wryly. “I was shocked.”

“Haha, yes. Very funny. Jesper has no sense of time management. Now that we’ve all had a good laugh can you let me up?” Jesper asked, already trying to worm his way out of the nest of limbs he’d woken up in. “I don’t remember exactly what I was doing before, but I’m pretty confident it’s not done.”

The other two weren’t letting him go that easily though.

He felt Klaus place a long, patient kiss to his forehead as Lydia tightened her grip on his waist.

“Go back to _sleeeep._ ” She whined.

Jesper huffed in frustration even as Klaus continued to place soft kisses across his face and tender, absentminded touches on his cheek and jaw.

“Even we need to take it easy sometimes.” He said. “Just let yourself rest.”

“Hmm.” Jesper hummed flatly. “Well, don’t blame me if Christmas is ruined because we spent all of November in bed.”

“Yay.” Lydia muttered, half asleep. “Let’s ruin Christmas.”

Jesper couldn’t help but laugh at that.

“I mean,” he managed to say through his laughter. “There are worse reasons to ruin Christmas, I guess.”

“And,” Klaus added. “ I think it’s a lot more likely to be ruined by you burning yourself out before December than it would be by a good nap.”

“Ugh, ok fine.” Jesper relented, not making much of an effort to hide how much he actually enjoyed finally letting himself relax and get comfortable in the center of the bed. “You’re the expert I guess.”

Lydia chuckled behind him.

“On Christmas? Or on taking care of Jesper?”

“Oh, definitely the latter.” Jesper said as he closed his eyes. “I’m the real expert on Christmas here, don’t you ever forget that.”

-

Stress and exhaustion effected them all a little differently.

For Lydia that sometimes meant reliving the memory of an illness that had no right to be taking anything else from her now.

It was already years into their new life together the first time Jesper had seen it happen.

One minute she was looking for a shoulder to cry on about a young couple that had broken up just before going to celebrate their recent engagement with their families over the holidays or parents that would be spending their first Christmas alone since their college freshman daughter couldn’t afford another ticket to fly across the country.

The next she was sweating and feverish. Suddenly exhausted and struggling to keep up with her own conversation.

And Klaus was, very quietly but very quickly, completely falling apart over it.

His concern quickly becoming smothering as his questions overlapped, not waiting for her to answer.

“I’m fine. I’m fine, dear.” Lydia insisted, voice weak. “This happens. You know this happens.”

“Yes, I do know.” Klaus said desperately. “But does that mean I shouldn’t care?”

Jesper took a deep breath and inserted himself between the two of them.

“Let me help you to bed.” He told Lydia, in what was possibly the gentlest tone he’d ever used in his life or death. A stark contrast to the rising panic Klaus had sneaking into his voice.

“Thank you, Jesper.” Lydia’s shoulders visibly relaxed as she took his hand and let him help her off the couch.

They walked past Klaus, all three of them suddenly silent until Jesper and Lydia reached the bedroom.

“I guess I shouldn’t let these things get to me so bad.” She said weakly.

“What? No.” Jesper scoffed as he helped her into bed. “Y’know, I used to think Klaus was the most compassionate person to ever exist, no matter how much he talked you up. But then I met you myself and now I’m pretty sure he had to be that kindhearted just to look half decent in comparison.”

“Oh, stop it.” Lydia said, finally managing to crack a smile. “He’s always been a sweetheart. You’re being too nice to me.”

“I was under the impression you didn’t think it was possible to be ‘too nice’.” Jesper told her.

“Would you stay with me?” She asked as she lay down. “At least until I fall asleep?”

“Of course.” Jesper said softly, his shoes and coat disappearing almost of their own accord as he slid under the covers behind her.

He wrapped both arms around her waist and she took one of his hands in her own, intertwining their fingers as she closed her eyes. She felt heavy in his arms, heavier than she looked.

Jesper lay there, listening to the subtle changes in her breathing and feeling her gradually relax until he was confident she was asleep.

He carefully pulled his arm out from under her as he climbed out of bed, closing the bedroom door quietly behind him as his attention shifted to the other currently distraught party.

He found Klaus in the workshop, sitting with his back to the door working on, well, nothing. He had tools and gears and an untouched block of wood in front of him, but his hands were in his lap.

Jesper stood behind him for a moment, contemplating how to talk about this with some sense of grace and subtlety.

Until he remembered that grace and subtlety had never really been his strong points. Why start trying now?

“So, what was all that about?” He asked, moving around the chair and hoisting himself up to sit on the side of the table.

Klaus seemed to come to life all at once, rubbing his eyes and letting out a heavy tired sigh.

“I know I’m not going to lose her again.” He said, looking at his hands. “I know it, but it doesn’t make it any easier to see her like this after I’ve already lost her once.”

Jesper reached to take one of his hands but Klaus pulled it away.

“I mean look at me.” He continued, gesturing to himself. “I used to be so good at taking care of her, making her comfortable and happy when she was miserable, but now I’m just sitting here feeling sorry for myself. Completely useless.”

Jesper took his hand back and considered Klaus for another moment.

“Would it make you feel better to do something for her now?” He asked. “What did you do for her before?”

“It doesn’t matter now.” Klaus said miserably. “She doesn’t need those kinds of things now.”

“Yeah, but she might still appreciate it. Show her you’re there for her.” Jesper told him. “If you can calm down and put the pity party on pause. What did you do before that helped cheer her up?”

“Well,” Klaus said, smiling very slightly. “Lydia would joke that the best part of being sick was that she got to eat my cooking all the time. I guess I could make some soup.”

“Perfect!” Jesper exclaimed, hopping off the edge of the table. “We’ll go make her some soup!”

“We?” Klaus asked, raising an eyebrow as he cracked a small smile.

“Ok, _you_ will make soup.” Jesper relented. “And I will supervise.”

“You mean watch.” Klaus chuckled as they left the workshop.

“Supervise.” Jesper insisted.

-

For as much as they liked to pick on Jesper, Klaus wasn’t great at admitting when he was tired either.

And this late into December there was plenty for all of them to be tired about.

Lydia was away more often than she was home, nudging people to check in on friends who were spending the holidays alone or finding the right person to stop and help someone who’d gotten a flat tire in the middle of an eight hour drive home for Christmas.

Jesper was constantly in and out of the workshop, always fussing over some piece of paper or another that he needed to show him. Lists that were constantly being updated, not just naughty and nice but comprehensive spreadsheets detailing what children had asked for, what they’d received previous years, and if it was good or bad for siblings in a particular family to get similar gifts. And there were always a few last minute letters that needed special attention.

And there was still so much to do.

But a few minutes of rest in front of the fire couldn’t hurt.

Except it wasn’t a few minutes, because that is exactly where Lydia found him. Two hours later, with his chin resting against his chest as he snored softly.

She took a moment to lean against the door frame, taking the whole scene in and biting her lip to stifle a laugh, before she went up to him.

“Dear,” She said softly, gently rubbing his cheek with her thumb as she slid her fingers into his hair. “Honey, wake up.”

“Hmm?” Klaus hummed in confusion as he opened his eyes, leaning into her hand. “Oh, sorry. I’m awake, I’m up.”

“No, it’s ok.” Lydia said, gently pushing him back down as he tried to stand up from the couch. “I was just wondering if I could join you.”

“Oh, of course.” Klaus said as he settled back into his seat.

“Ok, I’ll be right back.” She said, holding up a finger.

Lydia was back in a matter of seconds, arms full of yarn and needles.

“So when you said ‘join me’...” Klaus trailed off, voice equal parts amused and questioning.

“This just seemed like a nice place to be.” She said as she settled in next to him with her knitting. “You can go back to sleep if you want. You looked very peaceful, and peaceful looks good on you.”

But he didn’t try very hard to sleep again right away, just leaned back and watched Lydia’s hands as she worked the yarn back and forth over her needles. Just enjoying the chance to watch someone else work with their hands until his eyes seemed to close of their own accord.

At some point Jesper joined them and there was a brief reshuffling.

Jesper settled into one end of the couch with a book in hand and Klaus’ head in his lap while Lydia and her knitting moved near the other end with her back against the couch and her legs slung over Klaus.

It was all very cozy and peaceful. More peaceful than they’d been in months. Even with all the random chatter Klaus heard over his head as he tried to sleep.

Lydia would be working quietly until Jesper had even the smallest audible reaction to what he was reading.

_“What’s so funny? What happened?”_

_“Y’know, we could just watch a movie.”_

_“No, no. I like the quiet.”_

_“Mmhm.”_

_“What’s that look for?”_

And so on and so forth. Intermittently interrupting the peace and quiet they were supposedly enjoying.

Not that Klaus really minded. He just pretended to sleep, doing his best not to laugh at Jesper and Lydia’s back and forth. He wouldn’t want it any other way.


End file.
